The press release for the new The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy just missed Towel Day, but if I was worried that this was a sign the team behind the live show weren’t fully in the spirit of things then the quirky pre-launch page won me back around.
At the new Hitchhikers Live site, you can sign up for alerts and say whether or not you know your Zaphod Beeblebrox from your Slartibartfast (and not knowing what any of that means is okay).
The stage adaptation of Douglas Adams’ iconic sci-fi comedy is scheduled to open in London this autumn. The production will begin performances on November 15th at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, taking over Studios 2 and 3.
Based on the renowned novels by Adams and the 2005 Touchstone Pictures film, the show is presented by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatricals. Casting for the production is yet to be announced, but we have details of the writing and production teams.
Writer and producer Arvind Ethan David, a protégé of Douglas Adams, and Emmy Award-winning stage designer Jason Ardizzone-West have penned the show. The creative team includes a multi-disciplinary co-directing team. Lorin Latarro will serve as co-director and choreographer, joined by co-directors Simon Evans, Georgia Clarke-Day, and David Frias-Robles for Myriad Entertainment. Tony Award-winning producer Tamar Climan will be at the helm.
Arvind Ethan David told press;
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is one of the most influential stories ever told. It’s a satire, a comedy, a science-fiction epic, a work of philosophy and so much else. Douglas Adams, who I was honored to have as a mentor, predicted the world we live in now, with its social media gone mad and extinction level threats. Now with a group of world class story-tellers drawn from the best of Broadway, the West End and television, we get to bring HHGG to a new generation of hitchhikers.”
Another good sign that the team’s mindset is nerd-aligned is the press release that Geek Native has access to, including a comment from Marvin the Paranoid Android.
A brain the size of a planet, and they’re wheeling me out for theatrical amusement. I can hardly contain my indifference. And don’t talk to me about the condition of my dressing room.”
Why do we care? I’d argue that Douglas Adams‘ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has left a lasting impact on generations of writers and comedians, celebrated for its absurdist humuor and philosophical themes. Its legacy is cemented in popular culture through iconic phrases like “Don’t Panic” and the famous assertion that “the answer to life, the universe, and everything is 42.”
